Come and learn about the proposed bond referendum and see conceptual drawings of the proposed building designs.

Voting Information

Long Beach School Bond Election August 2, 2018 at Long Beach High School.

Absentee ballots are available at the Long Beach City Clerk’s Office located in City Hall. Absentee ballots will be available in the office during regular business hours and from 8 a.m. - Noon on Saturday July 21st and Saturday July 28th.

Questions and Answers

4 months ago

Q: Would the bond issue increase the auto vehicle tax annually?

Yes. For the bond life of 20 years, the annual tax for a vehicle will increase.

Q: Will a request for qualifications (RFQ) or request for proposals (RFP) be advertised for architectural and/or engineering services? If so, what will be the format of the RFQ/RFP? If not, how will these consultants be selected?

If the bond passes, the District will issue a request for qualifications for both architectural/engineering services and construction administration services in accordance with all state laws. Once all qualifications are submitted and evaluated, a contract will be negotiated for the services.

Q: Is the Board elected or appointed?

The School Board for Long Beach School District is appointed by the Board of Alderman of the City of Long Beach.

Q: I live outside the city limits but am in
Long Beach School District. Can I vote on the bond?

Yes. If you live within the Long Beach
School District boundaries, you are eligible to vote on the bond issue.

Q: How many years will it take to payoff
the bond ?

The bond is a 20-year note.

Q: The LBSD needs to give us specific
examples on one's home tax increase rather than the calculator. For example, If
I pay $1,600 per year in taxes now, then my tax bill will be XYZ dollars with
the bond issue component.

Examples of estimated tax totals including the
proposed bond increase for homeowners (younger than 65 years of age) with
homestead exemption are:

Assessed Value $75,000, current taxes $630.53, estimated new total with bond
$724.06

Assessed Value $100,000, current taxes $990.70, estimated new total with bond
$1,115.40

Assessed Value $150,000, current taxes $1711.05, estimated new total with bond
$1,898.10

Assessed Value $200,000, current taxes $2431.40, estimated new total with bond
$2,680.80

Q: Will there be Quality Assurance checks as
work progresses and who will be conducting these checks? (i.e. HVAC equipment,
plumbing, electrical installed correctly) Also, will there be steps taken to
assure there is no nepotism that takes place during the entire process?

There will be inspections and quality
assurance checks made during the entire project. There will be a
construction manager that will be responsible for approving all work before
payment is made. There will be a formal bid process that will help to
eliminate any potential nepotism and keep the process transparent.

Q: How many taxpayers are registered voters?
How many registered voters live in Long Beach?

Long Beach School District does not maintain
that information. To get the voter information you will need to contact
Harrison County Circuit Clerk. Only those registered voters that reside
inside the Long Beach School District will be eligible to vote in the bond
election.

Q: Why was this not bid out?

We can not bid and award a project until we
have resource available to cover the project. We are using estimates on
the cost to determine the scope of the project.

Q: What renovations to existing classrooms can
be expected?

All but one hallway will receive
renovations. During the construction phases, the proposed plans may
change slightly.

Q: How many additional classrooms will be
added?

Once all phases are completed, the current
proposal will create five to seven more classrooms than are currently available
and over 30 classrooms will be brand new construction with others receiving
renovations. It will also include a new gym and a 400-seat arts complex.

Q: When might renderings of the renovation be
available?

Renderings are now available and can be viewed
on this Bond page. They can also be viewed on Facebook and at all of the
Town Hall meetings.

Q: Why are we unable to provide our own ROTC
for our children but are able to build a new school?

A JROTC program must be funded from
operational funds. Funds generated from this bond issue cannot be used to fund
recurring operational costs. It must be used for the renovation and new
construction of buildings on the High School campus.

Q: So, taxpayers will be footing the bill
if this bond passes? If, so, are ONLY tax paying residents allowed to vote on
this bond issue?

All registered voters in Long Beach School
District are allowed to vote on this bond issue.

Q: How many grants have been pursued to
help defer the cost of a new school since school districts are limited on what
they can borrow, and could you please tell me what the law is?

The grants the district has pursued have been
used to upgrade technology, replace buses, and add additional instructional
staff. There are not currently any grants available for renovation and
construction of facilities for MS School Districts. We are constantly
monitoring the state legislature for any funding opportunities for facilities
construction and upgrades. MS Code 37-59-11 mandates bond elections
and 37-59-5 limits the borrowing authority.

Q: Why are you considering renovating the
ancient high school when the property where Harper McCaughan is located was
purchased to build a Long Beach School District campus?

The resources available will not build a new
high school on a new location. We are limited by law to $20 million and
feel that replacing the oldest buildings and renovating the newer buildings is
the only realistic way to give our students the safe, state of the art high
school they deserve.

Q: Who are we entrusting with this $20
million?

You are entrusting the school district with
the $20 million. We will pay the contractor as work is completed.
The district is subject to audit at any time and has an annual financial audit.

Q: Who will be going the work of building this
new school? Did we take bids and check references here?

We will bid the project and award the contract
to the lowest and best bidder.

Q: What is the breakdown for the use of the
$20,000,000?

All $20,000,000 will be used for the
construction and renovation of the high school campus.

Q: How will new insurance amounts be paid for
in the future?

District funds will pay the insurance
premiums.

Q: What is the highest millage amount and debt
allowed by the school system?

The maximum millage for operations is 55
mill. The district has been at this maximum for more than 15 years. There
are two types of debt limits, one is 3 mills which the district is currently
paying back and will have paid back in 2028. The other is a bond issue
and we are limited to 15% of the assessed valuation of the properties in Long
Beach School District.

Q: How was the amount of the bond being
requested estimated?

$20 million is the maximum amount allowed by
law. Once we had our available resources identified, we designed the project to
stay within our means, while still providing a safe, state of the art facility
for our students. All amounts are estimates provided by Eley Guild Hardy
Architects.

Q: How much goes toward athletic and other
extracurricular activities?

All bond proceeds will be spent on the construction
and renovation of the High School facilities. This will include an
academic complex and new science labs, an auditorium and a gym.

Q: Does the district have any bonds that are
currently financed, and if so, when do they end?

The district has two notes currently
outstanding. The total tax levy on these two notes is 3 mills. One will
pay off in 2020 and the other will pay off in 2029. These notes are paid
with funds received under a different borrowing authority and will not affect
the proposed bond issue.

The proceeds of these bonds were used for
multiple renovation and updating projects on all campuses, except Harper and
new HV/AC at all schools, except Harper.

Q: What are the estimated costs for procuring
the new bond?

It will cost the district between $10,000 and
$15,000 to run the bond election.

Q: What will the district do with the land by
Harper McCaughan since the high school will not be built there?

The district will use the property to ensure
we have room for growth in the elementary schools. Our existing lower
elementary schools are aging and will need to be replaced in the next 20 years.

Q: If this bond passes, when will construction
begin?

June 2019

Q: I've been hearing "NEW" school
but also hearing it's really a renovation of parts of the existing school.

We are proposing a hybrid project that will
add some new buildings and renovate some of the others.

Q: Where is the information about what this
bond issue will specifically address?

We will begin presenting this information at
the Informational Meeting on Thursday, June 28th at 6 p.m. at Long Beach High
School.

Q: What is the estimated increase in taxes for
a home valued at $200,000?

A homeowner that files Homestead Exemption
will see an increase of approximately $250

Q: What will be done to alleviate the flooding
in the stadium parking lot where the students park?

The school district has been, and will
continue to work with the city and the county to alleviate the drainage and
flooding issues at Long Beach High School. They are looking at drainage
flow and what possible solutions there are that will eliminate the problem.

Q: Where will the students have class when the
buildings are being torn down and/or renovated?

There are several options currently being
discussed to house the classes that would be disrupted by construction and
renovation. There are classrooms on the campus that are empty during teachers’
off blocks as well as the possibility of using the rooms at LBMS being vacated
when the USM Autism Project moves out.

Q: Will there be a new gym?

Yes. The current gym will remain on
campus and be used as a practice facility and for other school-related
purposes. There will be a new competition gym built during one of the
construction phases.

Q: Will there be an auditorium for
performances?

Yes. The new buildings and renovations
will be done in phases. Part of one of the phases will be to build an
auditorium which will be large enough for band, choir and theatre performances
for our district.

Q: What will this mean for my taxes? How will
this affect me?

The new taxes generated from this proposed
bond issue would mean approximately $250/year on a $200,000 home. This
does not include any allowable exemptions for which the homeowner may be
eligible. Please use the tax links and calculator provided below on this
page to calculate how the proposed bond issue will affect your property taxes.
A car tag on a vehicle valued at $15,000 would increase by approximately $55
per year. Please contact the County Tax Assessor for a specific amount.

Q: Why are we going to do a combination
build/remodel instead of building an entirely new high school on the property
by Harper McCaughan?

A school district’s borrowing power is limited
by law. The maximum that Long Beach can ask for is not sufficient to
build an entirely new structure on the additional property the district owns by
Harper McCaughan Elementary. This plan will allow us to build new where
it is needed as well as renovate and upgrade what we can safely keep to provide
an overall safe state-of-the-art school for our students.

Q: Why do we need a new high school?

Long Beach High School was built in the
1950s. Since that time additional buildings and renovations have been
constructed. The end result is the current building structure with 49
entrances and exits. With school security becoming a more prominent issue,
it is imperative that a new school structure with a limited number of
controlled access points is required to secure our students and our
campus.

In addition to securing the campus, the
district is currently undergoing an energy audit. Money being spent to
maintain old systems and heat/cool the current inefficient structures can be
redirected into the classrooms and into more and better technology for our
students.

Tax Calculator

5 months ago

Use the calculators to estimate your taxes after the increase. Enter the assessed value from your 2017 tax bill. A copy of your tax bill can be obtained from the Tax Assessor's office or by clicking the following link: Harrison County Tax Assessor

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